Keeping The Balance
by Sheryl Nantus
Summary: The casualties on P3X-289 aren't only the ones outside the Dome.


Title: Keeping The Balance (1/1)  
  
Author: Sheryl Martin/Nantus  
  
Email: xfdragon@zoominternet.net  
  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM,   
  
World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created   
  
for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or   
  
trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story,   
  
are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is   
  
coincidental and not intended by the author.  
  
Archive: anywhere you want! Helio, S/JD... anyone wants it, help yourself!  
  
Rating: PG-13, UST to the max… but no more than I think you'll see in any episode!   
  
Sam/Jack!  
  
Spoilers: Season Seven, Episode "Revisions".  
  
Summary: The casualties on P3X-289 aren't only the ones outside the Dome.  
  
Keeping The Balance (1/1)  
  
By Sheryl Martin/Nantus  
  
They walked by the bodies so often that she lost count. Pitted suitcases strewn   
  
everywhere, fragments of fabric being whipped around by the toxic wind, skeletal hands   
  
outstretched either back towards their home or outwards towards some sanctuary that   
  
didn't exist. After the second or third trip she could close her eyes and go on autopilot,   
  
her steps still secure and careful as the evacuation continued. Finally the iris closed   
  
behind her and she pulled off her mask for one last time, taking a deep breath of the stale   
  
air of the SGC even as the refugees were being herded towards the infirmary.  
  
"Carter?" The familiar voice jabbed her ears as she bolted upright, pulling her head up   
  
from the desktop. The lab was dark, the dimmed hallway lights signalling that night had   
  
fallen outside the Mountain.  
  
"Carter?" The Colonel moved a little closer, his hands stuck in his pockets. "You okay?"  
  
"Yes, sir." Rubbing one eye with the palm of her hand she turned on the desk lamp. "I   
  
must have fallen asleep."  
  
"Been a busy day. A few days, actually." He moved closer, eeriely silhouetted in the   
  
light. "Hammond says we'll have them all relocated within a few weeks or so. Daniel   
  
found a little planet just far enough off the beaten path that they'll be left alone." A thumb   
  
jerked towards the open door. "So… I'll give you a lift home if you want."  
  
"No, I'm fine." Her hand curled around a nearby mug of cold coffee. "I was just working   
  
on the report." She drew a shuddering breath, rubbing her eyes again. "We don't know   
  
who the other two were yet."  
  
"The other two?" O'Neill came even closer, standing right beside her. A frown crossed   
  
his face as he looked down at the printouts.  
  
"When we entered the Dome the computer immediately began to recalculate the   
  
resources necessary to maintain the population. It had to remove four people to balance   
  
things out." Carter's voice dropped down. "We know of two, but…"  
  
"And no one would remember. Other than us, that is." He rubbed the back of his neck.   
  
"Look, Carter…"  
  
"I was hoping that the computer records might have actual names." Her eyes closed as   
  
she rubbed her eyes again, this time with both hands. "If we could just get a name…"  
  
"It's not our fault."  
  
"Sir…"  
  
"It's not our fault, Carter."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Sam…" A hand fell on her shoulder. "It's not our fault. It was the computer and whoever   
  
programmed that monster to do this. We didn't know; we couldn't know. And when we   
  
found out we did something about it."  
  
She continued to stare at the printouts, sliding them aside to see the pictures of the toxic   
  
landscape.   
  
"It's part of the way things are. We save whoever we can and do the best we can." She   
  
felt, rather than saw, him shrug behind her. "It's part of the job."  
  
"I guess." She pushed the photographs to one side, closing her eyes. "I just get a bit…   
  
overwhelmed at times."  
  
"No kidding." The hand moved to her back, rubbing over the black tshirt in small circles.   
  
"Welcome to the club."  
  
"I just wonder if it all balances out, you know?" She leaned back, allowing herself a   
  
guilty pleasure in his touch as he continued to rub her back.   
  
"Of course it does, Carter. We've already been to Hell, remember?" The soft chuckle   
  
warmed the back of her neck. "Look, I've been at this a lot longer than you. And I'm not   
  
proud of that, but you've got to believe that it all does balance out in the end."  
  
"You've made some of those calls." It was a blank statement.  
  
"Yes, I have. You've been there." They both remembered. A sickening thud into the   
  
closed iris behind him, her staring at him for a long second before turning away. "Can't   
  
say I regret any of those calls."  
  
"Not one?"  
  
The hand paused, then continued its circuit. "I don't make those calls for myself. I make   
  
them for my team and for my planet." He chuckled. "Need a refresher in Command   
  
Tactics, Carter?"  
  
"Not yet, sir." She shook her head. "It just seems so much simpler at some times than   
  
others."  
  
"Hey." Taking ahold of her shoulders he turned her around on the stool until they were   
  
face to face. "If it ever gets too easy, we're all in trouble."  
  
"Duly noted." She looked down at her hands. "Maybe I will take you up on that drive   
  
home."  
  
"See? You know how to make good calls…" His hand reached behind her, turning the   
  
lamp off.   
  
Sam closed her eyes, feeling his body heat close; too damned close in the dark. Suddenly   
  
she felt a pressure on her lips, a soft touch disappearing so quickly that she could only   
  
wonder if it had ever happened. Just as quickly the air around her went cool, returning to   
  
the usual lab temperature.  
  
"Carter." Her CO appeared in the doorway, backlit by the dim lights in the hallway.   
  
"Let's go."  
  
Brushing her fingers across her lips she stood up, walking towards him.   
  
---------------------------------- the end -------------------------------- 


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